Applicant""s invention relates to an apparatus and method to determine, store, access, and use, the information writing and/or reading capabilities of one or more input/output devices, one or more information storage media, and combinations thereof.
Use of computers for both personal and business purposes requires the ability to easily and reliably store information. Many computer systems include a variety of input/output devices and a corresponding variety of information storage media. Commercially-available computer programs, and proprietary software, often display all the available input/output devices, and/or all the available information storage media, as potential write targets even though not all those available input/output devices can write information, and even though not all those available information storage media are writeable. For example, Read Only Memory (xe2x80x9cROMxe2x80x9d) devices cannot write information, and ROM media are not writeable. Nevertheless, such ROM devices/media are often presented as write targets. Furthermore, commercially-available computer programs, and proprietary software, often display all the available input/output devices as potential read targets even though not all those available input/output devices have information storage media mounted therein.
Many computer systems include differing types of writeable input/output devices and differing types of writeable information storage media. Thus, even if an allocated input/output device is capable of reading/writing information, and even if a designated information storage medium is writeable, the allocated device may not be able to read and/or write information from and/or to the designated information storage medium. For example, a writeable optical storage device cannot write information to a magnetic tape. As a general rule, the larger the overall size of the computer system, the more likely that system will include differing information storage devices/media. For example, an automated data storage and retrieval system may include optical information storage media/devices, magnetic information storage media/devices, and/or electronic information storage media/devices.
Automated media storage libraries are known for providing cost effective access to large quantities of stored media. Generally, media storage libraries include a large number of storage slots on which are stored portable data storage media. The typical portable data storage media is a tape cartridge, an optical cartridge, a disk cartridge, electronic storage media, and the like. By electronic storage media, Applicants mean a device such as a PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash PROM, and the like.
One (or more) accessors typically accesses the data storage media from the storage slots and delivers the accessed media to a input/output device for reading and/or writing data on the accessed media. Suitable electronics operate the accessor(s) and operate the input/output device(s) to provide information to, and/or to receive information from, an attached on-line host computer system.
What is needed is an apparatus and method to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability and/or the read capability of one or more input/output devices, one or more information storage media, and optionally, combinations thereof, disposed in a computer system. Such a computer system may comprise a personal computer, a mainframe computer, a work station, a data storage and retrieval system, and combinations thereof. Such a method can be implemented in commercially-available computer programs, in proprietary software, in information storage management programs, and the like.
Applicants"" invention includes a method to determine, store, access, and use, the read and/or the write capability of the (i)th input/output (xe2x80x9cI/Oxe2x80x9d) device disposed in a computer system, and to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability of the (j)he information storage medium disposed in that computer system, where the computer system comprises (N) input/output devices, (N) device bits, (N) device identifiers, (M) information storage media, and (M) media bits, and where each of the (N) device bits is assigned to a different one of the (N) input/output devices, each of the (N) device identifiers is assigned to a different one of the (N) input/output devices, and each of the (M) media bits is assigned to a different one of the (M) information storage media, where (i) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (N), and where (j) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (M). The write capability of each input/output device is determined, a device bit assigned to that input/output device is set to 1 if the device can write information, and that device bit is stored for subsequent use. The write capability of each information storage medium is determined, and a media bit assigned to that medium is set to 1 if the medium is writeable, and that media bit is stored for subsequent use.
Applicants"" invention further includes a method to determine the write capability of an allocated input/output device in combination with a designated information storage medium by accessing the device bit assigned to the allocated device and accessing the media bit assigned to the medium. The Recording Index for that device/medium combination is formed by multiplying the assigned device bit times the assigned media bit. If that Recording Index equals 1, then the device/medium combination is a proper write target.
Applicants"" invention further includes a method to create and display a read target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can read information from an information storage medium disposed therein. Applicants"" invention further includes a method to create and display a write target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can write information to an information storage medium disposed therein.
Applicants"" invention further includes a computer system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability of one or more input/output devices disposed in that computer system, and to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability of one or more information storage medium disposed in that computer system. Applicants"" invention further includes a computer system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to determine the write capability of an allocated input/output device in combination with a designated information storage medium by accessing the device bit assigned to the allocated device and accessing the media bit assigned to the medium.
Applicants"" invention further includes a computer system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to create and display a read target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can read information from an information storage medium disposed therein. Applicants"" invention further includes a computer system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to create and display a write target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can write information to an information storage medium disposed therein.
Applicants"" invention further includes a computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability of one or more input/output devices disposed in that computer system, and to determine, store, access, and use, the write capability of one or more information storage medium disposed in that computer system. Applicants"" invention further includes a computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein for determining the write capability of an allocated input/output device in combination with a designated information storage medium by accessing the device bit assigned to the allocated device and accessing the media bit assigned to the medium.
Applicants"" invention further includes a computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to create and display a read target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can read information from an information storage medium disposed therein. Applicants"" invention further includes a computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to create and display a write target table comprising the I/O devices disposed in, or attached to, a computer system, where each of those I/O devices can write information to an information storage medium disposed therein.